Someone pointed out to me a section of one of Obama's speeches that the public option would only be open to those without insurance, so I wrote this brief letter:

President Obama,

Please make any public option available to all Americans, not just those without health insurance. Otherwise, the rest of us could be stuck with the crappy insurance our employers chose, and that choice likely wasn't based on what was best but what was cheapest or even gave them kickbacks.

We should not reward health insurance companies for their sociopathic behavior that has harmed and even killed so many Americans just to increase their profits by forcing people to become their customers.

Other than that, Wyden's plan is a great addition. Not only can people buy into it, but they get a fair portion of the costs covered by their employer (which is a very important aspect to this whole deal)

you can drop your employer coverage just like today. So it's both true it's only open to those without insurace and that it's open to all people.

311. HEALTH COVERAGE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS.

An employer meets the requirements of this section if such employer does all of the following:

(1) OFFER OF COVERAGE- The employer offers each employee individual and family coverage under a qualified health benefits plan (or under a current employment-based health plan (within the meaning of section 102(b))) in accordance with section 312.

(2) CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS COVERAGE- If an employee accepts such offer of coverage, the employer makes timely contributions towards such coverage in accordance with section 312.

(3) CONTRIBUTION IN LIEU OF COVERAGE- Beginning with Y2, if an employee declines such offer but otherwise obtains coverage in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan (other than by reason of being covered by family coverage as a spouse or dependent of the primary insured), the employer shall make a timely contribution to the Health Insurance Exchange with respect to each such employee in accordance with section 313.

This is an important principle mostly neglected in the current reform effort. I've actually written to her, suggesting more stringent caps and the need to define the minimal care that must be included in every health insurance policy. But I am glad she buys into the cap principle.

Look, if an employer is paying 90% of your private costs, you should be able to switch to the Public Option (EASILY) and have your employer pay at least 90% of the premiums (or whatever is left after need-based subsidization).

There will be a public option, but it will never be cost-effective to sign up for it unless you are poor enough to receive federal subsidies to pay for it.

If they made a public option that was cost-competitive with private insurance, people would flee their private insurers in droves. This would be financially disastrous to the health insurance industry.

If they won't let the auto industry or the insurance companies like AIG fail, they are not going to destroy the private health insurance industry.

The public option will be kept priced high so that it is not very attractive to people who already have insurance.

By his own words in his last speech on health care, he is not going to destroy the health insurance industry.

Making a government-run public health insurance plan that was cost-competitive with private health insurance would destroy the health insurance industry, as people would flee it in droves for the cheaper option.

They will make sure that the public option is only cost-effective for people receiving a government subsidy, assuming there is a public option at all.

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